Skirt lifter for chair with footrest



Oct. 24, 1967 w, c. ROGERS, JR 3,343,873

SKIRT LIFTER FOR CHAIR WITH FOOTREST Filed June a, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; WALTER CLARK ROGERS,JR. BY flame, fi ML FRICTION RETAINER CAP ATTORNEYS Oct. 24, 1967 w. c. ROGERS, JR 3,348,373

' SKIRT LIFTER FOR CHAIR WITH FOOTREST Filed June 5, 1966 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WALTER CLARK ROGERS,JR.

BY /Lawu, "Fl/gawk" ATTORNEYS United States Patent Filed June 3, 1966, Ser. No. 555,122 15 Claims. at. 297-68) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for lifting a skirt depending from a chair of the type having a footrest which is extendible and retractable by means of a linkage movable under the skirt forwardly and rearwardly of the chair. The device includes a connecting member having one end pivotally connected to the linkage to be movable therewith forwardly and rearwardly of the chair and an opposite end operatively connected to the skirt to raise the skirt when the linkage is projected for extending the footrest. Preferably, the connection between the connecting member and the skirt permits the connecting member to also move relative to the skirt.

Summary of objects and invention This invention generally relates to chairs which have a footrest that may be projected from below the chair into an extended position for use. In addition, a skirt depends from the lower front edge of the chair to completely conceal the footrest when in retracted position below the chair and, at the same time, to blend with the overall decorative appearance of the chair.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel device, hereinafter termed skirt lifter, which will raise the front skirt of the chair as the footrest is projected into extended position.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of such a skirt lifter which is simple and economical in construction and may be readily installed in chairs without affecting the operation of the footrest or unduly complicating the structure of the chair.

' The above objects are achieved by interposing a skirt lifting member between linkage, which projects the footrest into extended position, and the skirt itself. The skirt lifting member is connected to the footrest linkage and also to the skirt so that upon extension of the footrest linkage to project the footrest, the skirt lifting member will move relative to the footrest linkage to raise the skirt. In one embodiment, the skirt lifting member may be pivotally connected at one end to the footrest linkage and freely held at its other end in a compartment or socket in or on the skirt.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying the present invention and shown with its footrest in the fully extended position for use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmental, cross-sectional view of the chair with the footrest in the fully retracted position under the chair;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the footrest in a position intermediate its fully extended and retracted positions;

FIGI. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with the footrest in the fully extended position; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmental view of a modified portion of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown in FIG. 1, for illustrative purposes only, a chair generally designated having a footrest 12 which is movable between a retracted storage posit ion below the chair and the shown extended position. Chair 10 is of the reclining type which has a backrest 14 that may be swung rearwardly relative to the seat 16. The structure of the chair frame, including the seat, arm rests, and backrest and the linkage 18 which supports the chair for movement into and from the reclined positions, are disclosed in my copending US. applications Ser. Nos. 523,296 and 536,882, filed Jan. 27, 1966, and Mar. 23, 1966, respectively. Reference to these applications may therefore be had for a further description of the noted chair parts.

For movement between its extended and retracted positions, footrest 12 is supported by a linkage assembly generally designated 20. Footrest linkage 20 is connected to chair linkage 18 such that movement of backrest 14 to reclining position will automatically cause footrest 12 to be extended for use in the position shown in FIG. 1. Additionally, however, footrest 12 may be manually actuated between extended and retracted positions.

Included in footrest linkage 20 are two pairs of extension links 22 and 24 mounted, respectively, generally on each side of the chair for movement between an extended position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and a retracted position shown in FIG. 2. Footrest 12 is swingably connected on each side to extension links 22 and 24 by support links 26 and 28 which are pivotally connected to the footrest by links 30 fixed along opposite sides of the footrest.

In moving from retracted position to extended position extension links 22 and 24 move beyond the front of the chair, while support links 26 and 28 initially remain folded as shown in FIG. 3. Continued movement of extension links 22 and 24 causes support links 26 and 28 to unfold clockwise (as viewed in the drawings) from the position shown in FIG. 3 due to relative movement between extension links 22 and 24. Unfolding of support links 26 and 28 causes the footrest to unfold relative to the latter until the footrest is ultimately positioned for use as shown in FIG. 4. For a more detailed description of the structure and operation of the footrest linkage, the disclosure of my above-identified US. application Ser. No. 536,882, filed Mar. 23, 1966, is hereby incorporated into this application.

In many chairs, such as that illustrated, a skirt 40 is attached along one or more of the lower edges of the chair. Such a skirt, while shown as being made from fabric material, may instead be rigid and made from wood or metal panels with or without upholstery. It will therefore be understood that use of the word skirt is in no way limited to nonrigid fabric material.

In accordance with the present invention a skirt lifter is provided for lifting the skirt at the front of the chair when the footrest is extended. In the particular embodiment shown, skirt lifter includes what will be referred to as yoke member comprised of a pair of opposite end arms 44 extending at'right angles from an intermediate crosspiece 46 which integrally connects arms 44. Yoke member may be made from any suitable rigid material such as, for example, steel wire. The free ends 48 of the yoke arms are pivotally connected to outer extension links 22 in any suitable manner, such as by hooking the ends of the yoke arms about studs 50 fixed to extension links 22 intermediate the ends thereof and in the shown embodiment, closer to the forward ends of the extension links. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the yoke arms 44 are pivotally attached .by right angle bends 48' formed on the extremities of the yoke arms and received through holes 49 in extension links 22. Friction caps 51 are forced on bend portions 48' to complete the connection.

Yoke crosspiece 46 is connected to skirt 40 to move the same between raised and lowered positions and in the illustrated embodiments this is accomplished by a compartment or pocket 52 which receives crosspiece 46 as shown in FIG. 1.POCkt 52 may be formed from rigid or nonrigid material, although in the illustrated embodiment it is formed from fabric material attached along its longitudinal side edges to the upper and lower longitudinal edges of skirt 40 on the rear side of the skirt so as to define a space 54 for receiving yoke crosspiece 46.

When the footrest is retracted, yoke arms 44 extend generally forwardly of the chairwith the yoke crosspiece 46 resting in the bottom of the pocket as shown in FIG. 2. When the footrest is extended, yoke arms 44 are initially projected with extension links 22 and 24, which causes the skirt to be raised in counterclockwise direction about its line of attachment to the chair. Continued movement of the footrest and extensions links causes the yoke arms to pivot counterclockwise about studs 50 to continue the raising of the skirt until the footrest is fully extended as shown in FIG. 4. In this position, yoke crosspiece 46 is engaged against the bottom of the pocket to maintain the same in raised position. Upon return of the footrest, the yoke member moves away from the bottom of the pocket thus permitting the skirt to return to normal position.

Smooth action of the yoke member free of snarling in skirt pocket 52 is achieved by appropriately dimensioning ,yoke arms 44 and locating the pivot studs 50 along extension links 22. Additionally, space 53 defined by pocket 52 is entirely unobstructed to permit yoke crosspiece 46 to move transversely in a direction across the pocket during movement between the fully raised and lowered positions of the skirt. Moreover, links arms 60 and 62 of the footrest linkage in their swinging movements during extension and retraction of the footrest, lower extension links 22 and 24 so that unimpaired pivotal action of the yoke member to raise and lower the skirt is achieved.

Although the skirt lifter of the present invention has been described in conjunction with the particular chair and footrest shown in the drawings, it will be understood that the present invention may be employed to equal advantage in other chair and footrest structures.

Moreover, other modifications readily apparent from the foregoing description and associated drawings, although not specifically mentioned herein, will neverthless be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a chair or the like having a footrest, extendible and retractable means movable below the chair for projecting and retracting the footrest past the front of the chair, a skirt depending from the front of the chair, and secondmeans having one end connected to said first recited means to be movable therewith between extended and retracted positions while also being movable relative to said first recited means, said second recited means being operatively connected to said skirt to raise the skirt upon movement relative to said first recited means during movement of said first recited means into extended position.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said second recited means includes a rigid member pivotally connected at one end to said first recited means and having an opposite end operatively connected to said skirt to raise the same.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said rigid member extends generally forwardly of the chair when said first recited means is in retracted position and generally rearwardly towards thechair when said first recited means is in the extended position.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 wherein said skirt has means defining a compartment freely receiving said opposite end of said rigid member.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 wherein said skirt is formed from rigid material,

6. The structure defined in claim 4 wherein said skirt is formed from flexible material.

7. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said secondrecited means causes said skirt to move to a normalposition depending from the front of the chair when the footrest is retracted below the chair.

8. In a chair having a footrest, extendible and retractable means movable below the chair for projecting and retracting the footrest past the front of the chair, and a skirt depending from the front of the chair, means connected to said first-recited means for raising the skirt when the footrest is extended from the chair, said second recited means permitting return movement of said skirt to a normal position depending from the front of the chair when the footrest is retracted below the chair, said second recited means including a link having a first portion pivotally connected to said first recited means and an opposite portion held in said skirt.

9. In a chair having a footrest,,extendible and retract able means movable below the chair for projecting and retracting the footrest past the front of the chair, and a skirt depending from the'front of the chair, means connected to said first recited means for raising the skirt when the footrest is extended from the chair, said first recited means including elongated members movably mounted respectively on each side of the chair and wherein said second recited means includes a yoke member having a pair of arms respectively pivotally connected at their free ends to said elongated members and having a crosspiece interconnecting said arms and received in said skirt.

10. The structure defined in claim 9 wherein said skirt has means defining a compartment and wherein said crosspiece of said yoke member is received in said compartment.

11. The structure defined in claim 9 wherein said yoke member is wire-like and has hooked portions on the ends of said arms, and said elongated members have projecting studs pivotally receiving said hooked portions.

12. The structure defined in claim 9 wherein said yoke member is wire-like and has inturned portions on the extremities of said arms, and said elongated members have holes respectively receiving said inturned portions.

13. The structure defined in claim 12 further including friction members received on said inturned portions inwardly of said elongated members to restrain said inturned portions in said holes.

14. The structure defined in claim 10 wherein said compartment is formed by an element attached at opposite end portions thereof to the inner side of said skirt.

15. In a chair having a footrest or the like and associated linkage for extending and retracting the footrest between a position below the chair and a position projected from the chair, and a skirt depending generally from the lower front edge of the chair; means for lifting the skirt as the footrest is extended from below the chair including a rigid member having one end pivotally connected to an extendible and retractable link included in said linkage, and means defining a compartment on the inner side of said skirt, said compartment freely receiving the other end of said rigid member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 155,187 9/1874 Enger 297-430 728,264 5/ 1903 Mattax 297429 X 806,678 12/1905 Kelly 297- 1,314,089 8/ 1919 Melnick 29743O X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Examiner, 

1. IN A CHAIR OR THE LIKE HAVING A FOOTREST, EXTENDIBLE AND RETRACTABLE MEANS MOVABLE BELOW THE CHAIR FOR PROJECTING AND RETRACTING THE FOOTREST PAST THE FRONT OF THE CHAIR, A SKIRT DEPENDING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CHAIR, AND SECOND MEANS HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST RECITED MEANS TO BE MOVABLE THEREWITH BETWEEN EXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS WHILE ALSO BEING MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST RECITED MEANS, SAID SECOND RECITED MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SKIRT TO RAISE THE SKIRT UPON MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST RECITED MEANS DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST RECITED MEANS INTO EXTENDED POSITION. 